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Posted By: robatthelake
on 12/21/09 01:27am

I Use Vodka! It works the same way, but I Always drink the First Cup or 2 while I am freezing My Fingers Off disconnecting the Intake line from the pump!

Rob & Jean
98 Dutch Star Diesel Pusher ..07 Honda CRV AWD

Posted By: BRAVE
on 12/21/09 03:26am

It works by lowering the melting temperature in your pipes. However, you have to pour a lot of the stuff into the frozen line to make it work. If the entire line is frozen, there won't be any way to accomplish this. Otherwise, it looks pretty good.

buy one, read the contents on the label and let us know what it is. the directions say to pour one liter in. that would be a large pipe to hold that. I prefer the vodka idea myself.
bumpy

Posted By: grizmt
on 12/21/09 05:33am

Bumpyroad wrote:buy one, read the contents on the label and let us know what it is. the directions say to pour one liter in. that would be a large pipe to hold that. I prefer the vodka idea myself.
bumpy

Besides being potable it gives you a mixed drink out of the faucet! Hey, there's an upgrade for ya, a bar gun in the bathroom sink...

Quote: Save the headaches, and use the best! Use LIQUI-FIRE Liquid Pipe Thaw!

DO NOT USE "LIQUID PIPE THAW" by Recochem.

They are criminals and have no regard for you or the law!

spoken by the folks in competition with the recochem product.
wonder if there is any bias there? I would imagine that the product would have to be some type of non-hazardous liquid that could easily be copied with a little ingenuity.
bumpy

Quote: Save the headaches, and use the best! Use LIQUI-FIRE Liquid Pipe Thaw!

DO NOT USE "LIQUID PIPE THAW" by Recochem.

They are criminals and have no regard for you or the law!

Yeah, that was the first link I found with a quick search but didn't want to post it here. That guy has some serious problems with the way he advertises his products. I absolutely refuse to purchase anything from a business that trashs their competition but that's another topic alltogether.

Does vodka really work? do I just pour a bit into the fresh water tank?

I will see if I can pick up a bottle this week and post the contents and maybe conduct a little lab test since we're in for a cold snap this week.

Vince

Posted By: bb_94401
on 12/21/09 09:16pm

Vince --

Vodka will work. Ethanol will depress the freezing point of water. The data below was from www.engineeringtoolbox.com

Remember that the volume of ethanol to volume of water percentage in the table is based on adding pure alcohol (200 proof) to the water. For example if your favorite vodka is 100 proof and you mix it with equal parts of water it is 25% by volume in the table below.

Rather than dumping it in the water tank, I'd place a small line in the vodka and plumb it into the water pump inlet and pump it in undiluted. Bypass the hot water heater. Once you get a little flow, I'd switch the pump inlet over to very hot water and let it work while you enjoy whatever Vodka is left over.

Or if you like Gin. Beefeater Gin is 96 proof. $14 for ~2 liters at Longs Drug.

Having had a few frozen pipes over the years I kind of wonder just how well this would work

now if it is a small pipe and only a short section is frozen then yes, removing as much water as you can and replacing it with a product such as this might just work.

But frankly I think heat is less expensive and more effective, Epically on metal pipes (On plastic you can still use heat, but a lot less of it, which reduces the effectiveness)

Better to prevent freezing in the first place.

Home is where I park it.
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377

Posted By: stevenal
on 12/22/09 01:33pm

http://msds.homehardware.ca/OpenRepositoryFile.asp?s=137942&v=2

Saline taste? Salt chemical family? Sounds like salt. Do not ingest? Okay, that doesn't sound like salt, but doesn't sound like something you want to put in potable water pipes. And it freezes at 14 degrees F, which doesn't sound nearly low enough.